Thomas Kinkade

If you are not familiar with Thomas Kinkade, he is one of the most successful artists of all time. He has an enormous library of paintings which have garnered international acclaim. Kinkade’s estate (he is now deceased) is worth millions of dollars. Thomas Kinkade is local to the Placerville area, so when he was getting his start, many of the subjects of his paintings were of local houses and scenery.

According to Betty Smith (NFH owner from 1961 to 2002), in 1992 representatives of Thomas Kinkade appeared at the house. In a very brief conversation, they explained to Betty that Thomas Kinkade would like to create a Christmas painting that would feature the Nick Fox House. Although permission is not needed to create an image of the property, Betty was agreeable and Kinkade created the painting based on photographs which had been taken. Betty never heard from Kinkade or his representatives again. The painting was released in 1993 and went on to become one of his most well-known pieces. This image of the Nick Fox House in the snow can literally be found all around the world. It adorns coffee mugs, greeting cards, ornaments, retail bags, and the list goes on. To many, this is just a fictional place conjured up in the mind of the famous artist. Only limited prints included the tagline, “A Holiday Celebration at the Nick Fox House, Coloma Road”; to everyone else, it is simply “Victorian Christmas II”. Sadly, Kinkade did not offer the Smiths a copy of the print.

This is what Kinkade had to say about the print:

“I’m inviting you to a Christmas party unlike any you’ve ever attended—because it takes place a hundred years ago! In my paintings, I love turning back the clock to a simpler era. That’s what my Victorian Christmas II is all about; it brings my favorite holiday and a glorious historical period alive on canvas.”